It takes a lot of varied roles and responsibilities
to deliver the typical IT project.  You have technical,
planning, customer liasion and administrative roles to fill –
to name a few.  Project success depends upon your ability (and
willingness) to determine, assign and allocate these varied roles
and responsibilities based on actual project needs and existing
resource capabilities.  Read on to learn more.

First Steps: Aligning “R and R” with Project Needs

In order to develop and define project management responsibilities
designed to suit the needs of any given project, you must first have
a good grasp on those needs. This understanding must go beyond the specific
technical elements of the project, and into the core issue of project
management (i.e. what will it take to drive the project to success?). 
(Also Read: Using the
Responsibilities Framework)

Is there a customer? Strange as it may seem, not
every IT project will have a specific customer. Ultimately, the business
itself is the ultimate IT project customer, but for certain technology
projects, such as server or infrastructure upgrades, there may be no
specific end-user group involved. In these projects, end-user communications
and relationship management skills may take a back seat to pure technical
and time management skills, and therefore, project assignments can be
made accordingly.

Are external consultants or vendors involved? In
this case, the internal IT project manager may need to fill a liaison
role, and communications and organizational responsibilities will become
a primary factor in project success.

What is the technology role? Considering the extent
to which technology is now used in business, the IT organization is
often called upon to play a role in non-technology projects … those
which rely on technology for the results, but do not focus on technology
itself as the result. In these cases, IT usually plays a support role
in the overall project, but the technology elements become a sub-project
of the whole. This can mandate a dual role for the IT project manager
…. to manage the sub-project, and play a secondary, support role in
the primary project. This can be the most challenging IT project assignment
of all.

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Responsibility Breakdown: 5 Categories for IT Projects

Considering project needs and internal staff capabilities, you will
then need to identify the project management responsibilities required
to drive the project to success:

A. Technical Responsibilities:

Does the project manager have to have specific technical skills or
expertise to manage this project?

• Identify technical requirements.
• Define scope, goals, and deliverables.
• Identify resource requirements.
• Select the project team.
• Estimate time, costs and schedules.
• Prepare and present the project plan.

B. Execution Responsibilities:

What execution responsibilities will be required to manage this project?

• Maintain and monitor the project plan.
• Approve, reject and apply change requests.
• Monitor and resolve open issues.
• Track project progress.
• Manage the project budget.
• Manage vendor and supply relationships.

C. Communications Responsibilities:

Communications with the Project Customer (End-User):

• Does this project have a specific customer?
• What types of communications will be required?
• Interviews to obtain requirements.
• Negotiation of requirements, acceptance criteria, schedules
  and scope changes.
• Problems and issues communication.
• Status reporting.

Communications with the Project Sponsor / Management:

What types of communications will be required?

• Negotiations for resources (staff and funding).
• Status reporting.
• Problem escalation.
• Coordination with a project steering committee.

D. Staff Responsibilities:

What staff management responsibilities will be required?

• How large is the project team?
• Will all team members report directly to the project manager
  or to project team leaders?
• Will project team members continue to report directly to line
  managers during the term of the project?
• Will the project manager be responsible for evaluating staff
  performance?
• Will the project manager have the authority to remove or reassign
  project team members?

E. Management Expertise:

Depending on the size, complexity and visibility of the project,
should the project manager have extensive management experience, or
can an inexperienced manager be assigned?

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• How to use strategic fast tracking to negotiate with stakeholders and build shared expectations.

• How to use strategic fast tracking to become a more productive project manager and team member.